Alone in the dark
by A Doomed Shadow
Summary: The darkness brought us to this new world. The controllers of reality are changing, and the veil of life is fading. Things proved impossible are a daily occurrence, and everything seems chaotic and unbalanced. For instance, there is no death, no war, no fatal sickness. They expect me to to fix their mistake, they expect US to fix their mistake. But when we refused... (HiE; herd)


Authors note : Okay, so this story is supposed to replace Looking for a friend, as I jumped the gun with Haven, and I had no idea how to begin where I left off. The initial Plot will be much different, but characters will remain the same. This is still an HiE, as as my other stories progress, certain things will merge. I plan to write a sequel (sort of; and it's still a maybe) that will hopefully be a surprise. Chapters will be coming out after longer periods of time, as writing isn't really a priority and I have other things going on, but you can except chapters every few weeks or so. My rant is over, so… here we go. (The following is a prologue of sorts, the chapter will start soon after.) I was driving. Somebody was in the car with me… I don't remember who…. My mother maybe? It was cold, there was snow on the ground. The tires slid, the car turned into oncoming traffic. A scream? A cry? Was it my own? Pain filled my body, and everything went black. I was cold, and a scream kept haunting the air. Somebody was crying… a felt wet drops on my face, tears maybe? A beeping… ringing…. A light…. The light disappeared. The screams began again, a felt like I was drowning. I clutched my throat, the nothingness suffocating me. My lungs ached for air, but there was none. The was nothing. A void. Then, a black spike appeared. It touched me, it touched my heart. Burning pain tore through me. I screamed, and I let the nothingness drown me. Two yellow eyes appeared in front of me, the were slitted, and yet… they were soft. Then they left. I missed them…. Alone in the dark chapter 1 : running in a ruin Pov: dust The everfree forest is famous for its terrifying legends and stories of monsters, bandits, dragons, and treasures. Hundreds of ponies have desperately searched its tropical floor for some kind of salvation. Most of which, never made it a few miles before being eaten by some kind of monster. They where stupid…. ….and I am smarter than them. I am smarter than them because I will survive. I know that's what every pony thinks before they enter, thinking that they are hot stuff, only to enter the forest and never exit. I'm not different than them…. Only better. Better because I am not stupid. I stood at the edge of a nearby town, ponyville they call it. It was your everyday small town. Every pony knew each other, rumors spread fast, and crime was relatively non-existent. The only thing that made the town famous was the massive apple orchard, and the fact that the six elements of harmony lived in the town area, and the princess/element of magic resided in the local library. Let me elaborate on the whole "I'm not stupid" thing. First of all, I know that I am coming off as an arrogant and blind fool, but let me explain. The ponies who go out are stupid, because they go in small packs of three or four. They are mostly unarmed and with no fighting skill, and they only have a simple map to guide them. They are stupid. The most stupid thing they could Possibly do is actually what they consider the smartest thing. Other ponies, are either an adventurers greatest ally or burden. A lone pony is fast, quiet, and agile. A large group is slower, but most animals will leave a group of six or seven ponies alone. Two or three is merely a target, three or four is a buffet. I know this, and the rules of the forest. This is why I am smart, and they are stupid. Ponies don't understand how unforgiving and merciless the world outside their small town really is. I plan to educate them. Ponies that enter the forest seek fame, fortune, or merely the buzz of being chased by a pack of timberwolves. I am looking for a lesson. A revelation. A test. A test to prove that I am smart… And they are stupid. -()- I entered the forest, the bushes and leaves tickling my mane and coat as I used a machete to cut through the area. The golden aurora of magic lifting it in the air caused the thin steel to cut and slice through bushes and vines. My orange coat and yellow mane were both covered by a brown hooded cloak, the top of the hood shading my eyes from the blinding sun, while the cloak kept me warm in the surprisingly cold fall air. Underneath the hood, a set of light but durable chain armor rested tightly against me, making me feel better about venturing into a fatal forest. While my main goal for this ridiculous venture is to prove that I am better by surviving, I still need to make sure that I am better, because I won the game that all ponies play. The famed ancient castle is literally bloated with the sheer amount of valuable treasures and relics. Just one, that's all I needed. It didn't have to be big, or fancy, I just needed to have it. Leverage, so that I may easily prove that I did indeed venture into the lush jungle that has been death for so many. My destination, according to the map that I had boughten, the castle should have been a mile and a half away, a moderate walk for the forest floor, taking me at least an hour to get a mile in. It was around ten minutes after first catching a distant glimpse of the castle,when something bizarre happened. The sky was normal, no unusual spectacles, just clouds and birds, but then, something scarred me. A powerful shockwave shook the trees, and blew my hood off, and I was almost knocked off of my hooves. Leaves and branches flew from the forest floor, leaving me cut and bruised. A massive black storm cloud began forming above the castle, and the wind began to intensify, and leaves began to fly at ridiculous speeds and seemingly random patterns. An ominous black funnel began to twist and twirl down to the castle, and when it touched the ground, a horrific scream tore through the air, and I could feel blood nearly spilling out of my ears and nose. I screamed, and I clutched my head and temples with my hooves, but my eyes remained on the tornado. Suddenly, all of the black storm clouds were sucked into the tornado, and the entire ordeal ended as quick as a flash. What just happend? -()- Pov: Val The darkness seemed to spin and twirl around me, like black water, it sloshed and splashed around me. It made no sound other than a deep low hum, and I couldn't see anything, for example, my hand in front of my face. I waved it, and while I knew it was there, I couldn't see it, at all. The black state lasted only a few mere moments before the area around me turned from pure darkness, to a torn and ruined medieval building. Vines hung from cracked walls, and likes of rubble and trash lined the walls, but the ceiling had the worst of it. There was more hole than wall, and most of said hole was filled with strangle trees. The trees were tall and wide, but the strange blue and gold orbs hanging from the branches reminded me of some sort of holy and sentimental fruit. I decided to pick one. With a small shuffle, and a trip over a nearby vine, I had gotten to my feet and approached the large trees. Slowly, and carefully, and reached up with my hand, and grabbed a gold orb. It immediately fell from the tree and landed in my hand. I had no idea where I was, but for some reason the orb seemed to concern me more. It was beautiful…. I decided to eat it. With a reckless and careless shrug, I opened my mouth, and dropped it into my mouth. I immediately perked up, feeling the my surprisingly sore muscles and achy limbs numb slightly, and I was reminded of one of the happier days of my life, and I smiled. If I had ever taken drugs… I imagine that the experience would be similar. Almost greedily, I reached up and grabbed a blue one. Just like the last one, I put it in my mouth, and chewed. My mouth was instantly filled with a tart and slightly bitter taste, and I felt like laying down and letting the comforting embrace of sleep overtake me, but just as quickly as the last, the feeling went away. Filled with a greedy hunger, I reached up and grabbed several of each kind, being careful to be careful while putting them in my pocket. Satisfied that the strange berries…..fruit? Vegetable? I think I'll just stick with orbs, and in any case I made sure that they were safe. It's only then, that the thought of "how the heck do I get out of here" occurred. I looked at the walls. They were broken, beaten, and partially fallen over. Vines hung from crevices and dripped down to the floor, only to find a hole and sink into hit, continuing the journey down… or up, depending where it started growing. I inspected the roof. With an obviously unstable structure, the dome shaped roof of the large room was cracked and littered with holes both large and small alike. Fewer vines fell from the ceiling, as the massive trees that were filled with a seemingly endless supply of the strange orbs took the majority of the sunlight. I looked at the door. It was large, at least fifteen feet tall, and coils of iron and steel looped around the edges, providing a certain sturdiness that would leave most people wondering how it would ever fall. The hinges, though massive, were covered in a thick coat of rust, and it looked like an infection waiting to happen if I were cut trying to break them off. I walked up to the door, and with a fierce kick, I slammed my foot onto the wood. I know kicking it wasn't the best idea, but I wasn't really thinking to hard… and my foot hurt too. That door wasn't a possibility of getting out of here. Maybe I should look for a smaller door? A few seconds after I had begun my search for a new door, I had been pleasantly surprised. A smaller door stood tucked away in the smallest corner of the room, and its door hung wide open. From what I could see, there appeared to be a series of glass windows. Hesitating, I paused, and strangely enough, I could faintly hear something. It sounded like a good distance away, but the noise itself was rather spooky. It was a rhythmic tapping sound, and it had a shrill echo to it that made it impossible to tell the direction of the noise. Deciding anywhere was better than the room with the orbs, I rushed over to the door, the sound still bouncing through the halls like an old ghost. It was creepy, and I put "stay away from creepy sound" as a goal, and its priority ranked up with "find out where the crap I am and why I woke up in an old castle". You see, my goals don't demand that much, only necessities… ish. I looked to my right, nothing but hallway and another door at the end. Cracked walls, falling vines, and rubble on the floor as usual, the only difference were the strange glass windows. Colors of all shapes and sizes filled the large panes, and each one seemed to be part of a set of figures. All of the painting were different, but a pattern quickly showed itself. Horses… equines…ponies…unicorns…Pegasi… no…what? They were ponies alright. All different colors and sizes, but strangely enough, every single one had the same two ponies somewhere on it. They were alicorns, and their coats were a pure white and a sleek black. The mares, from what I could tell, was the white, and it was pared with a soft red and gentle and intelligent blue eyes. The stallions, which I assume was the other, had the black coat, and had a blue mane, though it varied in hundreds of different hues… manly I guess? I quickly sped across each window, the sound of the tapping sound getting closer left unnoticed. All had the alicorn duo, though I froze in my tracks the moment I saw the last one. It looked the newest, as its colors were less faded and it had less missing pieces. The window depicted the two alicorns standing between the sun and moon, which were circling around them. Between them, a strange symbol caught my eye. It was a golden and black circle, with a pair of black and golden horns and wings seemingly holding it. Suddenly, the tapping sound, stopped, it was then when I realized how close it had gotten. I looked to the door at the other end of the hall, and watched in fear as it began to open. After all, why wouldn't I be terrified? Heh, its funny, I figured out where I was, but then I neglected the sound of danger getting closer and closer. I guess ill end up paying for it in the next few minutes. The door suddenly shot open, and the hallway suddenly seemed a lot more dark. It was big, at least eight feet tall, which was huge compared to my 5'9 height. It wasn't pony shaped, instead, it looked like a a gargoyle of some sort. It was dragging its fingers on the wall, leaving long gashes in the wall. Several large fangs stuck out of its mouth, and it seemed to be salivating. The clicking sound was the sound that the chains on his legs made, but the were unattached to anything. I was a little more than a little creeped out. I began to slowly back away, but the gargoyle suddenly leaped foreword. I barely ducked in time before it crashed into the wall behind me, causing a little bit of the roof to fall onto it. It let a small howl of pain loose, but only for a brief moment, before it pushed the rocks off of itself. I don't think I have ever run as fast or faster as I did right then. I bolted, dodging rubble on the ground and dashing through small crevices in walls, hopefully loosing the gargoyle. Apparently not though, as the clicking sound resumed, and it began to sound closer and closer. As I continued through the halls, I realized that I had no idea where the crap I was going, and so I decided to take a few seconds and look around for a goal, a waypoint if you will, or better yet, a plan. Well, I guess running around aimlessly is a plan, but it is a rather poor one considering it probably knows these halls much better than me. Slowing down, I put my hands above my head, and found the closest window. It was another glass one, and so I couldn't see anything through it, but frankly I was more worried for my life than priceless windows. I took of my shirt, wrapped it around my hand, and smashed it into the window. Thankfully, my hand wasn't cut, and the window exploded outwards. I immediately saw what I was looking for . A large chasm stood between the island like structure that the castle was on and the outside forest. A bridge stood between the two, and it looked identical to that on the show. Knowing your surroundings is the first key to a plan… now… the rest of my plan… hm… ah, get the heck out. Taking my luck with the window, I looked down, and noticed a ledge around ten feet down from the window, and as the sound of clicking got unnervingly close, I jumped. Now, in modern video games and TV, you can see people jumping off insanely massive building and being perfectly fine. In real life… or rather… EQUESTRIA, that doesn't happen. I screamed in pain, gripped my heels as if it would dull the pain. It didn't though, and I knew that if I was getting out of here alive, I was going to have to jump again. I looked off the edge, and saw another concrete ledge, though this one seemed a lot farther. Its just a hop, skip, and a- As I jumped, I though to myself…. If I survive… I'm gonna meet rainbow dash first… maybe… As I used my momentum to roll as I hit the grassy floor, it hurt less, but my knees began to ache from the stress. Its time to get out of here, and meet some pony. You would think I would be more concerned about the gargoyle that almost ate me… Meh, I like to live in the moment. -()- PoV: dust The terrifying screech of some kind of monster pierced my ears, making me cringe slightly. Clutching the light guard armor that I had bought, and the thin dagger under my cloak, I looked to the castle. Funny, I came out here to prove at I was better, yet I am doing something incredibly stupid by walking TOWARDS the monsters screams. I guess if I die out here too, I should apologize to all the other dead ponies in the afterlife… if there is one. I was never a very religious stallion. In any case, I continued onwards, and I came across a large bridge stretching across a large rift to connect the "island", that was the strangely creepy looking, castle hosting, dark, cliffside. It was then, and only then, when I saw a strange creature. It was tall, and It looked like it hadn't seen me yet. It was tall, and had strange clothing on its upper and lower body. It seemed to be bipedal, but then again, I couldn't exactly see anything behind him, as he was running right at me. Suddenly, another screech touched my ears, and to my disappointment and displeasure, a black winged beast burst through a window on the third floor of the castle. It was large, larger than the… thing… that apparently seemed to be running away from it as well. It saw me, the bipedal creature, soon after the beast leaped of out the window and used its powerful wings to cut the distance between them in half. Which also meant it had also gotten a considerable distance closer to me. I quickly turned around, both creatures extremely close, and ran across to the other side of the bridge. The… thing… seemed to be a lot faster than me though, and soon enough I felt its hooves… or… claws more like it, grab me by the coat, and fling me foreword, whilst diving foreword himself. Thankfully, we both landed on the other side of the bridge, though that didn't seem to change the flying demons mind, as it soared even closer. Once it reached the edge of the island though, a blue and black line stretched out from the castle, grabbing the beast by the chains around its legs, and it was quickly dragged into the castle. It screamed the entire way. I looked to the … whatever it was I was looking at, and said one word, the only word I planned on saying to the beast, before I tried to kill it or get away from it. After all, it had pretty much saved my life, and I was a generous stallion. "Thanks" I muttered. A wicked grin stretched across his face, and he fell to the ground, a strange cackling sound following soon after. He was laughing. Huh…. Strange. -()- Pov: ? -Somewhere deeper in the ever free forest- Pain… I was in pain…. Light… there was no light. There was no hope…. No light…. Only nothing….. I cried….. I cried for hours, cradling myself….. Why did I hurt so much? Why was there no light? Why am I here… To wait for him…. To join him…. To become him…. To take his life away from him…. To end him….. Twas the will of the void…. To prove strength…. And crush the weak… ….why is it so dark? ….why am I alone….. Authors note: jeez, le freaking weez. Kill me now. This chapter took forever! It was mostly my fault… but hey… I am not happy with how long it took to write this either. Sorry for hit posting for a long time, but honesty I was busy, and procrastination had gotten the better of me. That and the fact that writing had been put on hold for a long time due to school finals. I hate finals…. Anyways, so yeah… other reasons for my lazy posting speed is because I have 8 other stories that I am trying to write, but it is hard… it really is. So anyways, I don't know how fast chapters are going to come out… but they will defiantly be faster now. Don't think to hard about why this is replacing looking for a friend, lets just say my brain remembered that I had a plan for the story, and then I just kinda screwed it over and did what I felt like…. Making a lot of the things I wanted to do impossible. It's the same thing for fallen star. Characters will be a lot different, but mostly the same names… though… just yeah… I do what I want XD R&R please, anything helps, see ya. 


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